title: [Discovery and follow-up of a lead-poisoning outbreak in a shantytown of Le Port, Reunion Island].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A national survey conducted in 2008-2009 by the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance for detection of lead impact in childhood identified a high blood lead level in a young boy living in the town of "Le Port", Reunion Island. Previously, cases of lead-poisoning on the island had been exceptional; only a dozen cases were reported in the 1980s in adults, related to the use of lead-containing instruments for food preparations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The family of the index case was invited to participate in screening tests and an environmental investigation was conducted using a standardized questionnaire. Screening was then broadened to the neighborhood of the index case and samples of soil outside the home and in the immediate vicinity were taken. The environmental survey was then extended with soil samples taken from the entire geographical area. Information was then provided to local inhabitants (87 families and 287 people) in order to encourage lead blood testing for all children under six years and all pregnant women living in the area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The index case lived in the neighborhood of "The Oasis", a shantytown of Le Port. The results of soil analysis revealed heterogeneous pollution of superficial soils by lead throughout the area of the shantytown, the highest level recorded (5200mg/kg) reached more than 300 times the background level of the natural soils of the island. The screening identified 76 cases of childhood lead-poisoning (blood lead level greater or equal to 100μg/L) among 148 samples (51%). All cases of blood poisoning involved children under the age of 15 years. The median age of children with a positive test was 5.6 years; the median blood lead level was 196μg/L [102-392μg/L].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main hypothesis to explain the contamination of the soil in the area of the shantytown is the presence of waste deposits (car batteries) and diffuse activities of metal recovery. The authorities managed to remove all the families from the environmental exposure to lead by rapidly ensuring rehousing outside the contaminated area.
authors.affiliation: Cellule de l'Institut de veille sanitaire en région Océan Indien, département de coordination des alertes et régions, institut de veille sanitaire, 2bis, avenue Georges-Brassens, 97408 Saint-Denis, cedex 9, Réunion. jean-louis.solet@ars.sante.fr
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Solet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Renault
authors.forename: J-C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Denys
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Teulé
authors.forename: R-M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Dennemont
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Domonte
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aubert
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Filleul
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Polycarpe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D017508:Reunion / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007854:Lead
keywords: Indian Ocean; Intoxication au plomb; Lead childhood; Lead-poisoning; Océan Indien; Pollution du sol; Reunion Island; Saturnisme de l’enfant; Soil pollution; Île de la Réunion